For lots of ramen fans around the world, menma is a must. It's a topping that adds both a bold flavour and an interesting texture.
What is menma?
Menma is a topping made from bamboo shoots that are dried and fermented. Its most common use is on ramen. Its slightly crunchy texture goes well with the chewiness of the noodles, making a nice contrast.
Like many other ramen toppings, menma comes from China, where bamboo has been grown for a very long time.
The name menma comes from putting together ramen and machiku, the type of bamboo it's made from.
It was first spotted as a topping at ramen stalls in the early 20th century, when people saw it served with ramen in Yokohama's Chinatown. It got so popular that menma became the everyday name for bamboo slices.
Why does menma go well with ramen?
Contrasting textures often feel good in the mouth because they make us focus on every part of the dish, instead of eating it all the same way. That's why crunchy toppings stand out among the classic ones that come with ramen. Menma is one of them.
Which broths does menma go best with?
Like many other ramen toppings, menma goes well with different broths for different reasons.
Shoyu
Since shoyu broth is made with soy sauce, itself a product of fermentation, they share some flavours, a bit on the tangy side. In fact, menma brings out its flavour.
Miso
Miso has fairly obvious earthy notes you can pick up from the very first taste, like menma.
Shio
Menma goes well with shio ramen because it adds an extra layer of flavour to the broth, which is less complex than the others.
Tonkotsu
It goes well with tonkotsu thanks to textures that work by contrast: the broth dense and complex, the menma crunchy and tangy.
